Couch hinge



Sept. 2l, 1943. u D. -KRAKAux-:R ETAL CGUGH` HINGE Filed May 14, 1941 .Dame s Clemard ATTORN stantial saving of material is effected. Similarly, the flange 29 is bent about the line 3l from the upper extremity of the leg 22 into coplanar alignment with the flange 28.

It will thus be seen that the flanges 28 and 2S are spaced apart a maximum distance, with the use of a minimum amount of material, nevertheless, thus forming a comparatively wide base for distributing the weight of the seat I-D and back I2 over a comparatively wide area of the couch frame 2l and thereby adequately transferring the weight of the seat and back regardless of their various positions to the couch frame and substantially relieving the screws 26 of such weight. It will be noted that in the bed-forming position of the parts vshown in Fig. 1, the hinge pivot I4 is arranged approximately over the ilange 28. In the seat-forming position, the pivot I4 is approximately over the flange 29, whereby the greater parts of the weights of the seat and back are transferred substantially directly to the ilanges and therethroughV to the couch frame. Y i

The end 38 of the spring 35 is secured to the bar I 9 by the passage of said end through a suitable `opening as 39 in said bar above the pivot 20 and between and below the flanges. In the .position of the parts shown in Fig. 2 wherein the seat and back are in their normal or seat-forming positions, the spring 35 is extended and is `arranged with its longitudinal axis at substantially right angles to the longitudinal axis of the lbar I 9, whereby said spring exerts a substantially maximum pull upon the bar. It will be noted that the end 38 of the spring is lower than `the end 34 thereof which makes it possible to Iarrange the spring in the desirable position above described. It will also beA noted that the weight of the seat part I is sucientto maintain the parts normally in the position shown in Fig. 2

`against the action of the spring 35. i

It will further be understood that a set of parts `'consisting of a support I 8, spring 35, hinge members II, I3, and control bars I5 and I9 is arranged at eachen'd of the couch, and though the above descrip-tion is given with respect only to vone set of such parts, two such sets are customarily used. The weight of the seat I0 maintains the bar I 9 against thestop pin 4D. Said pin projects fromthelleg 2| and is suitably secured thereto as by forming a head at one end of the pin Aand upsettingthe projecting end of said pin. Y

It will further be understood that the springs 35 `are of insufficient strength to cause any movement of the parts out of the position of Fig. 2 without the exertion of additional force upon the said parts in the `required direction as by raising the seat Ill aided by the 'action of the spring. By reason of the arrangement of the spring 35, said spring may be made of comparatively light wire and may be comparatively short, but need notY be of `great strength as required by the springs heretofore used for similar purposes.

-To move the parts into the bed-forming position thereof shown inlFig. 1, the entire hinge, together with the parts IIJ and I2 are retained in their respective relative positions because of thewlocking of the hinge members II and I3 together by means well known in the art and hence which need not be shown nory described. Said .parts I0 vand I2 are consequently moved as a -unit until the backI2 is horizontal and the seat I0 is substantially upright, said parts pivoting `tracted to the position shown in Fig. 1.

back I2, hinge member I3, bars I5, I9 move into the position shown in Fig. 1. Such movement of the parts as a unit is Well known and is fully described in our above-mentioned prior patent, to which reference is hereby made. The movement is aided by the spring 35 so that comparatively little force need be exerted by the user to move the parts to what we will term the intermediate position between the seat-forming position of Fig. 2, and the bed-forrning position of Fig. 1. During such movement, the bar I5 swings about its pivot I'I and causes the pivot I4 to move toward the left as viewed in Fig. 2, also causing the bar I9 to move toward the left. The spring 35 thereby contracts and during the major part of the movement of the bar I9, is arranged in a position and exerts a force at substantially right angles to said bar I9, whereby the spring exerts a maximum force thereon. At the end of the movement into the intermediate position of the parts, the spring is fully con- The hinge may then be unlocked and the seat I0, together with the hinge part II moved from the intermediate or upright position thereof into the bed-formingposition shown in Fig. 1. To move the parts back from the bed-forming position of Fig. 1, to the seat-forming position of Fig. 2, the seat VIll and its hinge member II are rrst raised into the intermediate position being automatically locked therein, and then the seat and back are moved as a unit into the position of Fig. 2, thereby extending the springs 35 which, during such movement, aid in controlling the movement and prevent the seat from dropping out of the grasp of the operator.

It will be seen that We have provided a simple, but highly eicient seat' support which, while made of a single piece using a minimum amount of material, is highly effective because of the spacing of its flanges and the arrangement of the spring-holding parts thereof and because of its shape, permitting the control springs to be made of comparatively light wire and comparatively weak as compared to the springs heretofore used for that purpose.

While we have shown and described a certain specific embodiment of our invention, we do not kWish to be understood as limiting ourselves thereto, but desire to claim the invention as broadly as may be permitted by the state of the prior art andthe terms of the appended claims.

We claim:

l. In a couch hinge having a control bar pivoted at one end thereof to the hinge at the hinge pivot, a one-piece L-shaped hinge support, means pivoting the other end of the bar to the support, one leg of the support being wider and longer than the other, said support having a flange bent from the free end of each of the legs, the flanges being coplanar, a perforated lug extending from the flange of the smaller leg, and a spring connecting said lug and the control bar and extending at right angles to' the bar during the major part of the movement of the bar when the hinge is moved as a unit from a position in which the spring is extended to a position in which the spring is contracted.

2. In a couch, a frame, a movable seat, a movable back, a hinge movable bodily as a unit from one position to another and secured to and pivotally connecting the seat and the back, an L- shaped support having outstanding spaced coaboutV the upper end I4 of the bar I9, while the 75 planar supporting flanges resting on the edge of the frame, a bar pivoted at its upper end to the hinge and at its lower end to the support and transferring thereto the weight of the hinge, said bar swinging about its lower end on the bodily movement of the hinge, aspring-holding lug extending from one of the flanges, and a coil spring secured at one end to the lug and connected at its other end to a point on the bar below the flanges and assuming a position at substantially right angles to the bar on swinging movement of the bar sufllcient to extend f the spring.

3. In a couch hinge having a pair of hinge members hinged together by a pivot, one ofthe members being adapted to be secured to a couch seat and the other being adapted to be secured to a couch back, an L-shaped hinge support adapted to be secured to a couch frame, a pair of coplanar flanges one at each end of the support, a bar pivoted at one end to said other hinge member and pvoted at its other end to the support adjacent one flange, a second bar pivoted at one end to the hinge pivot and pivoted at its other end to and adjacent a corner of the support, whereby movement of the hinge pivot swings said second bar about its said other end, and an extensible spring secured at one end to the other flange and secured at its other end to the second bar at a point sufficiently below the flanges to arrange the spring at right angles to the second bar during the major part of the swinging movement of the second bar.

4. In a couch hinge, a pair of hinge members, a pivot hingedly connecting said members, an L- shaped hinge support having a pair of substantially perpendicular arms, a pair of spaced coplanar flanges one bent from the outer end of each arm of the support, the outermost comino-n corner of the arms being arranged lowermost and between the flanges and Yhorizontally and vertically spaced from the flanges when the flanges are in a horizontal plane, a control bar pivoted at one end to the support at a point thereof between the flanges and pivoted at its other end to the hinge pivot, and an extensible and contractible spring secured at one end to a projection of said one flange and at its other end to a point of said bar below the flanges and above said aforementioned one end of said bar, said spring being substantially perpendicular to the bar during the major part of the rotational movement of the bar about its said one end asa pivot.

5. In a couch hinge, a one-piece L-shaped support,v one leg of the support being longer and Wider than the other, a rst flange bent from the free end of one leg and adapted to rest on the edge of a couch frame, a second flange coplanar with the first flange and spaced therefrom and bent from the end of the other leg, a substantially semi-circular perforated projection extending from the outer edge of the smaller leg below the flange, the material of said smaller leg above said projection lbeing bent integrally with the flange and into coplanar relation thereto to form a spring-holding projection, a pivot for a bar at the outer corner of said support-l and a pivot for a second bar below said second flange.

DANIEL KRAKAUER. C. LEONARD KRAKAUER. 

